Seeds of Change

At TB&C community and passion are two of our core values. Above all we love to support the passions of those in our community, especially our staff. We see TB&C as an incubator for staff ideas that will better our community and world. This month we bring you a special edition of Adventure Friday, Seeds of Change, a night in which you will get to hear three of our wonderful team members talk about the incredible things they are doing to be the change they wish to see in the world. Meet Emmy Johnson, Cambria Whitcomb and Ron Griswell at this unique event to learn about the change they are leading in transgender equality, permaculture gardening, and bridgeing the collegiate adventure gap.

Cambria Whitcomb won the Orange County Business Investment grant to build a permaculture garden at TB&C that will benefit our staff, customers and local community. A huge thanks to Orange County Economic Development for supporting this dream.

In updating the TB&C shop garden, Cambria's goal is to demonstrate the beauty and utility of permaculture strategies in the heart of Carrboro. In basic terms, permaculture is a design philosophy that takes its cues from nature - working to create systems that require little maintenance and that support themselves. The initial focus points of our project at TB&C are to encourage more use of the shop's outdoor space, to cultivate crops for human use and to incorporate plant species that support native wildlife - including pollinators and birds.

Ron Griswell is Bridging the Collegiate Adventure Gap.

"My organization, HBCUs Outside, is developing a digital media platform to help HBCU and PBI students interested in adventure travel, locate resources and tools on how to get outside by compiling digital resources, building community around social media narratives, and creating a collective impact of partners to offer outdoor experiences.”

The purpose of HBCUs Outside is to inspire the students enrolled in HBCUs and PBIs to experience the world through immersive outdoor recreational activities and adventure travel.

People participate in the places and spaces they see themselves reflected in. Through representation in media, we will shift the narrative - breaking stereotypes and inspiring underrepresented audiences to get outside, and in doing so promote greater diversity in our public lands and outdoors community.

Emmy Johnson is leading trainings and raising awareness about how to increase inclusivity for the transgender community.

Transgender individuals face oppression throughout our society, including in the outdoor industry. Through trainings, I hope to teach and empower everyone to be more actively affirming and welcoming to transgender folks, and to actively work to counter systemic oppression wherever they see it.